The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

 

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

he refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths

for his name’s sake.

 

Even though I walk

through the darkest valley,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

 

You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

 

Surely your goodness and love will follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord

forever.

 

(Psalm 23 TNIV)

For many believers throughout the ages, the 23rd Psalm has held a special place. The peaceful trust of this prayer, the simple images it employs (pastures, waters, a dark valley, a table) to tell how God accompanies believers through real difficulties have made it precious to many, apt to be read over and over again at different stages of life. Few prayers appear to be as universal as this one.

The image given in the first verse orients the whole psalm. “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” What force there is in that statement! “Nothing,” says the psalmist! “How can this be?” we wonder. At once the text plunges us into an atmosphere of invigorating freshness. The shepherd knows how to bring his flock to life by leading it to places of nourishment. In that way he leads the sheep onward. The life of the flock lies in a constantly renewed and unceasing movement forward.

The following verses evoke two important dangers. It is true that a shepherd does not remove perils from the flock, but enables it to pass through them safely. First there is a dark valley, where death does not seem far off. God is there, the psalmist affirms, but in the dark. One could say that the eye no longer sees anything; there is only hearing. The staff is tapping on the ground, the sole proof for the sheep that their shepherd is still there. Then there is an abrupt transition: God sets up a table where the believer sits in the presence of her enemies. The welcome is overflowing. God ensures that it is not a confrontation but a true feast.

In the final verses, the psalmist is on the road: life seems to go back to its “normal” course. But instead of being led from the front, he seems to be “pushed” from behind. The gifts of God, goodness and love, follow him until he reaches his destination, the Lord’s own house where he can live in intimacy with God for ever.

 What events or situations in my life do the images found in this psalm evoke for me?

 What enables us to go forward in the midst of difficulties? How do we let God offer us new life and energy?